Birth plan: write down what you do and don't want

A birth plan is a short list of preferences that tells your doctor and birth team what you would like to happen during and after the birth. Writing it down helps you get clear on your wishes and makes it easier to be on the same page as your team.

What a birth plan can and can't do

Birth does not always go to plan, and things may need to change at the last minute. A birth plan is not a contract; it is a way of sharing your preferences. Medical decisions needed for the health of mother and baby always come first, and your doctor will work with you on the safest option for you and your baby. That is why it helps to include your answers to “if this happens, what would I want?” questions too.

It is also important to talk through your options and worries with your doctor while you write your plan. That way your doctor understands your wishes better, can explain which options suit you and can tell you what the hospital offers.

What can you include?

• Where you plan to give birth and who you would like with you: your partner, your mother or a doula.
• Whether you want to stay active during labor and which positions feel comfortable.
• Your pain relief preferences: epidural, breathing and movement, a warm shower, or that you haven't decided yet.
• Whether you would want someone with you if you need a vacuum, forceps or cesarean birth.
• Your wishes for the room: dim lights, your own music, quiet, photos.
• Equipment you would like to use: a birthing ball, mats or, if the hospital has one, a birthing pool.
• If you are giving birth in a teaching hospital, whether you agree to students and doctors in training being present.
• How you would like to feed your baby.

Right after the birth

Write down your wishes for the first hour as well. Having your baby placed skin-to-skin on your chest right after birth keeps them warm and calm, and the World Health Organization recommends starting breastfeeding within the first hour. Clamping the cord no earlier than 1 minute after birth (delayed cord clamping) is also among WHO's recommendations. Talk to your doctor in advance about whether you would like your partner to cut the cord, and about routine care for your baby such as vitamin K and the hepatitis B vaccine.

How to write it and who to talk to

• Keep it short: a one-page list of bullet points is quick for your team to read.
• Put the 3 or 4 things that matter most to you at the top.
• Use the language of preference rather than instructions, for example “if possible, I would like…”.
• Ask about hospital practices in advance: whether a birth companion is allowed in the delivery room, whether you can drink water during labor, and how skin-to-skin and delayed cord clamping are handled can vary from hospital to hospital.
• Go through your plan with your doctor around week 32, and note down your questions beforehand.
• Put a copy in your hospital bag and talk it through with your partner or birth companion.

In the birth plan section of Meyu, you can select your preferences for type of birth, pain relief, who will be with you, the birth environment, the time right after birth and newborn care, and add your own notes. You can save the plan as a PDF to share with your doctor, or print it and put it in your hospital bag.

“A birth plan is not a contract; it is a list of preferences that helps you and your team speak the same language.”

Whatever your plan, don't wait with these

Call your doctor or the hospital when your contractions come every 5 minutes or more often. If your water breaks, you have bleeding, your baby is moving less than usual, or regular contractions start before 37 weeks, go to the hospital right away.